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WAYS OF KNOWING. THE EMOTIONS. Knowledge Issues. Knowledge of emotions Characterising the emotions. Describe what it is like to be: In love Angry Jealous Excited. What is an emotion?.
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WAYS OF KNOWING THE EMOTIONS
Knowledge of emotions Characterising the emotions • Describe what it is like to be: In love Angry Jealous Excited
What is an emotion? • William James suggested that an emotion is the awareness of a bodily change. Typically there is an environmental feature which provokes a physiological change, which a person perceives. Imagine that you could take away the physical process and all one is left with is ‘the cold neural state of intellectual perception’. • Do you think there is more to having an emotion than awareness of a physical state? Why?
Getting it right… Consider situations in which it is appropriate and inappropriate to display the emotion. Does it make sense to judge that a person – perhaps oneself – is in an inappropriate emotional state? Using an example(s) explain your answer.
Emotion, Knowledge and Reason • How can emotions inform or contribute to my knowledge of the world? • What role do the emotions play in the acquisition of facts? In interpretation? In expression? • Of what to do?
Practical Wisdom • Knowing what to do in this situation • Emotional engagement or attunement to my context. • Aristotle and the virtues. Ethics centrally interested in virtues (and vices) - a virtue (arete) is a disposition of character which has the right pattern of motivation. Virtues include courage, temperance, generosity, magnanimity, truthfulness, justice. • Significance of the emotions and their development. Being disposed to act in the appropriate way linked to my character – role of emotions in calibrating my understanding of a situation. • Educating the emotions.
Further reading Alchin ch. 14 Blackboard – Notes on Aristotle, Crisp in RJP Issue 1 To see some very good art visit virtually (and if you’re ever in Tokyo actually go to): http://www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp/en/ For an advanced view on the nature of the emotions you can try (the Introduction): • Peter Goldie, The Emotions: A Philosophical Exploration, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2000.